Heavy snow began the morning of December 15th and ended during the early morning hours on December 16th. Across portions of the Western and Northern Sandhills of Nebraska, snowfall amounts ranged from 5 to 10 inches with local amounts up to 12 inches.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS LBF wrote it up.
Heavy snow began the morning of December 15th and ended during the early morning hours on December 16th. Across portions of the Western and Northern Sandhills of Nebraska, snowfall amounts ranged from 5 to 10 inches with local amounts up to 12 inches.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS North Platte, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 15, 4:40 AM MST, 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 540 AM CST TUE DEC 15 2015 .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 332 AM CST TUE DEC 15 2015 AT 08Z...WATER VAPOR IMAGERY...HAND ANALYSIS OF THE 08Z MSL DATA AND THREE-HOUR PRESSURE FALLS INDICATE A DEVELOPING CYCLONE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TO SOUTHEAST COLORADO. THE PRESSURE FALLS SHOW A COUPLET OF 2MB FALLS IN SOUTHEAST COLORADO WITH 2MB RISES IN EAST CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. RADAR AND INFRA-RED IMAGERY SHOW SOME WEAK UPWARD MOTION OVER WESTERN NEBRASKA AND EXTREME NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. THIS APPEARS TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE 290K LEVEL ISOBARS AND MOISTURE TRANSPORT VECTORS. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 332 AM CST TUE DEC 15 2015 THE ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE IS EXPECTED TO BECOME STRONGER IN WESTERN AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA AND THE AIR WILL BECOME SATURATED. CROSS-SECTIONS THROUGH NORTHERN NEBRASKA AND ACROSS WESTERN TO SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA BOTH SHOW THE LIFT REACHING INTO A LAYER OF FOLDED THETA-E FROM 700MB TO 400MB. THE RESULTING ENHANCEMENT FORCES SATURATED WELL INTO AND BEYOND THE DENDRITIC GROWTH ZONE. THIS SHOULD RESULT IN A FAIRLY HIGH SNOW TO LIQUID RATIO ON THE ORDER OF 13-17:1 AND EFFICIENT SNOW PRODUCTION. LOOKING INTO THIS EVENING...THE CYCLONE MAKES ITS WAY INTO CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA WITH WRAPAROUND ISENTROPIC LIFT OVER THE SANDHILLS. THIS WOULD SUPPORT SNOWFALL TOTALS BY EARLY WEDNESDAY OF 6 TO 8 INCHES IN THE SANDHILLS AND THE PANHANDLE. SNOWFALL SHOULD TAPER OFF IN SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA AFTER MIDNIGHT. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 332 AM CST TUE DEC 15 2015 STORM SYSTEM WILL BE EXITING THE REGION WEDNESDAY. QUITE WINDY AT FOR AT LEAST FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAY IN THE WAKE OF THE SYSTEM...WITH H850MB WINDS AROUND 45 KTS ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE SYSTEM. THESE WILL DIMINISH SOME BY AFTERNOON. SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING WILL STILL BE ONGOING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA WEDNESDAY MORNING WHERE THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE LOCATED. IN ADDITION...COULD BE A FEW FLURRIES OR SNOW SHOWERS ON GOING EARLY...BUT NOT EXPECTING ANY FURTHER ACCUMULATION FROM THIS ACTIVITY. THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY ARE LOOKING COLD...AS ARCTIC AIR IS PULLED SOUTH BEHIND THE STORM SYSTEM WHICH WILL BE MOVING INTO SOUTHEAST CANADA. WILL HOLD HIGHS IN THE 20S THURSDAY WITH THE FRESH SNOW COVER. BY FRIDAY SOME WARMER AIR ALOFT WILL BEGIN TO NUDGE EAST INTO THE AREA...SO HIGHS LIKELY WILL BE A FEW DEGREES WARMER. MILD WEATHER WILL RETURN TO THE REGION THIS WEEKEND AS UPPER LEVEL TAKES HOLD AHEAD OF THE NEXT LONG WAVE TROUGH WHICH WILL BE DEVELOPING ALONG THE WEST COAST. HEIGHTS WILL RISE WITH THE RIDGING...AND A PLUME OF VERY MILD AIR ALOFT /H850MB TEMPS NEARING 10C/ WILL SPREAD EASTWARD OVER THE AREA. WILL TAKE A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO HIGH TEMPERATURES...HOLDING THEM IN THE 40S...AS LINGERING SNOW COVER FROM TODAYS SYSTEM WILL LIKELY STILL BE A FACTOR. SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY A SHORTWAVE WILL EJECT EASTWARD AHEAD OF THE WEST COAST UPPER TROUGH. THIS IS WILL CROSS THE AREA QUICKLY...AND WITH A DRY ATMOSPHERE IN PLACE WILL NOT ADD ANY POPS AS THE SYSTEM PASSES. A PACIFIC COLD FRONT WILL ACCOMPANY THE DISTURBANCE....AND MONDAY WILL BE A BIT COOLER WITH HIGHS RIGHT AROUND 40 DEGREES BEHIND THE FRONT. TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY IS LOOKING RATHER UNSETTLED AS THE WEST COAST LONG WAVE TROUGH ADVANCES EASTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE UNITED STATES. AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THE TROUGH WILL REMAIN AND OPEN AS IT PASSES...WITH A MAJOR STORM LOOKING UNLIKELY AT THIS TIME. THIS WILL BE MONITORED CLOSELY FOR ANY CHANGES AS WE WILL BE ENTERING THE BUSY TRAVEL PERIOD FOR CHRISTMAS. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 534 AM CST TUE DEC 15 2015 WIDESPREAD SNOW IS EXPECTED TO RESTRICT CEILINGS TO LESS THAN 1000 FEET AGL AND VISIBILITY TO LESS THAN 3SM OVER CENTRAL AND WESTERN NEBRASKA. SOME RESTRICTIONS TO LESS THAN 500 FEET AGL ARE LIKELY WITH VISIBILITY TO 1SM OR LOWER. CEILINGS WILL IMPROVE AFTER 00Z AND BECOME 1000-2000 FEET AGL...BUT STRONG WIND WILL CONTINUE RESTRICTING VISIBILITY TO LESS THAN 3SM. WIND 080-030 AT 12-14KT WILL INCREASE TO 17G28KT AFTER 17Z. THE DIRECTION WILL SWING AROUND TO 320-360 AFTER 23Z...BUT THE SPEED WILL CONTINUE 16-18G26-28KT UNTIL AT LEAST 06Z. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 1 PM CST /NOON MST/ WEDNESDAY FOR NEZ004>006-008-022>025-035-036-056>058-094. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM CST /NOON MST/ WEDNESDAY FOR NEZ007-009-010-026>028-037-038-059-069-070. && SYNOPSIS...SPRINGER SHORT TERM...SPRINGER LONG TERM...TAYLOR AVIATION...SPRINGER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 444 AM CST TUE DEC 15 2015 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-161045- SHERIDAN-EASTERN CHERRY-KEYA PAHA-BOYD-BROWN-ROCK-HOLT-GARDEN- GRANT-HOOKER-THOMAS-BLAINE-LOUP-GARFIELD-WHEELER-ARTHUR-MCPHERSON- LOGAN-CUSTER-DEUEL-KEITH-PERKINS-LINCOLN-CHASE-HAYES-FRONTIER- WESTERN CHERRY- 444 AM CST TUE DEC 15 2015 /344 AM MST TUE DEC 15 2015/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. WIDESPREAD SNOW IS EXPECTED TODAY IN WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED IN THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN SANDHILLS AND IN THE PANHANDLE WHERE SNOWFALL IS LIKELY TO EXCEED 6 INCHES. THOUGH NOT THE HEAVIEST SNOW IN THE AREA... INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 80 WILL BE AFFECTED BY SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW. IN ADDITION...WIND WILL INCREASE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. FOR DETAILS...SEE THE LATEST WARNINGS...ADVISORIES AND WEATHER STATEMENTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. && GET YOUR WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NORTHPLATTE (ALL LOWERCASE)
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
There was a report of 12 inches of snow 21 miles north of Hay Springs. Snow depth reports of 5 to 12 inches across the county were also seen.
COOP 1 south of Valentine reported 6 inches with reports of 5 to 7 inches across eastern Cherry County also seen.
COOP Observer 10 NE of Oshkosh reported 8 inches of snow. Six to 8 inches of snow was reported by the public across the county.
Hyannis Post Office reported 8 inches of snow. Across the county 6 to 8 inches of snow was reported.
Public reported 7 inches of snow 16 SW Mullen. Reports of 6 to 8 inches across the county were also seen.
COOP reported 7 inches of snow in Arthur. Public reports of 6 to 8 inches across the county was also seen.
Report of 6 inches of snowfall in Tryon with additional 6 inch snowfall reports across the county.
COOP Observer 4W of Big Springs reported 6 inches of snowfall. Public reports of 5 to 7 inches were also reported across the county.
Trained spotter reported 10.5 inches of snow in Merriman. Six to 11 inches of snow was reported across the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, December 2015
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 606670, 606672, 606673, 606674, 606692, 606693, 606695, 606699, 606712.